Anchoring attachment for floating barges.



J. P. KARR & 'J. D. RAUGH. ANGHORING ATTACHMENT FOR FLOATING BABGES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1910. 987,886, Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS-cm, WASHINGTON, o. c.

J. P. KARE & J. D. RAUGH. ANGHORING ATTACHMENT FOR FLOATING BARGES.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 2,1910.

987,886. Patented Ma1t'28, 1911.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS 50., WASHINGTON, n. n.

J. P. KARR & J. D. RAUGH. ANGHOEING ATTACHMENT r03 FLOATING BARGES.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1910. 987,886. Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ATTORNEYS n45 mamas PETERS co, WASHINGTON. n. c.

JAMES P. KARR AND JOHN D. RAUGH, CF FURT WAYNE, INDIANA.

ANCHORING ATTACHMENT FOR FLOATING BARGES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pat11t 3l Play, 2S 1911 Applicationfiled July 2, 1910. Serial No. 570,115.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES P. KARR and JOHN D. RAUor-r, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen andState of Indiana, have.

invented certain Improvements in Anchoring Attachments for FloatingBarges, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention pertains to improvements in vertical-spud attachments offloating barges. for use in anchoring the latter in shallow Water. Wehave devised a spud and spud guide or casing which combine maximumlightness, strength, and rigidity, and are comparatively inexpensive inmanufacture; and we have provided the spud with a pneumatic attachmentwhich greatly facilitates the operation of hoisting the same out of themud.

The details of construction, arrangement, and operation of parts are ashereinafter described and illustrated in the accompany ing drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a floating barge provided with ourimprovement, the spuds being shown projected into the mud, as when usedto serve as anchors; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of thedredge with one of the spuds projected as in use; Fig. 3 is aperspective view of a portion of the dredge-scow or barge with ourimprovements applied thereto and the spud being shown projected downwardas when in use; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line Jr-4: of Fig.3; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 7 Fig. 6 is avertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 7 Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectionof the spud guide or casing with fixed supports and attachments thereof;Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the spud proper together with the rackattached thereto for use in lifting the same; Fig. 9 is a verticalcentral section of the lower portion of the spud, particularlyillustrating the pneumatic attachment; Fig. 10 is a perspective view ofthe inverted cup-shaped air-receiver constituting the principal memberof the pneumatic attachment.

In the several figures, 1 indicates a barge or scow constituting thehull of the dredge, and 2 indicate the spuds attached thereto, andguided in what may be termed casings 3, that are fixed on the sides ofthe scow adjacent to the bow thereof. As the result of long experiencein the use of floating dredges with anchoring attachments, we havedevised a form of spud and also spud guide or casing which combine to amaximum degree lightness, strength, rigidity, and durability, as shownparticularly in Fig. 8. The spud 2 is constructed of two steellbeams 4.,which are arranged with their webs opposite and parallel, and thesebeams are connected by means of steel channel plates 5, whose flangesare bolted to the l'. beams adjacent to the heads of the latter so thatthe edges of the flanges abut said heads, as shown. This arrangement ofparts has been found to form a very rigid structure. The backs of thechannel plates are opposite and parallel, so that the four parts thuscomposing the spud form practically an elongated box. In thisconstruction of the spud we avoid the use of angles and plates, also theuse of any wood as a filler or reinforce, for the purpose of forming asmooth bearing surface. o likewise avoid the use of counter-sunk rivets,the rivets employed being applied in such a place that they may havefull sized conical heads, so that their strength is not impaired.Besides, the heads of the rivets are accessible on the outside of the Ibeams. in prac tice, the channel plates will be provided with hand-holesto allow ready escape of water when the spud is being raised, and alsoto permit access to the air-pipe forming a part of the pneumaticattachment to be presently described.

The aforesaid spud 2 is arranged and guided in a casing constructed asshown in Figs. l and 7, that is to say, of two I beams 6, and sideplates 7 and 7* connecting the same. The plate *5 is secured to the sideof the scow or barge and the flanges of the in ner heads of the beams Gare riveted thereto. to the channel beams 7, which, as shown in Figs. 2,3, and at, are bent at an obtuse angle and arranged horizontally andparallel, their ends being rivet d to the barge plate 7 Thus the flangesof these bars 7 are on the outer side. 1nd they combine maximumstrength, 1 n and rigidity, and thus form m ve supports for the spudbeyond the upper beam 7, the heads of the opposite I beams 6 areconnected by narrow transverse plates 8, and at the head of the casingor guide other transverse angle plates 9 and 10 are bolted to the Ebeams for the purpose of holding them rigidly connected and also forsupporting The outer heads of the same are rivetedthe head of the casingor guide in connection with the barge, or its framework. It will be seenthat the spud guide or casing is thus composed practically of two Ibeams with suitable transverse connections for holding them rigid inrelative position. For supporting and bracing the lower end of the spudguide 3 more rigidly and with the least weight of metal, we apply angleplates 11, 12, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, with triangular plates13 whose'edges are bolted underneath the angle irons 11, 12, and also tothe lower flange of the lower brace bar 7.

By observation of Figs. 4 and 7 it will be seen that the outer flangesof the heads of the I beams 4 constituting part of the spud work incontact with the inner flanges of the heads of the I beams 6. Thus theheads of the I beams of both spud and guide serve as the contact membersin the sliding or upand-down movement of the spud.

Our improved pneumatic attachment is constructed and operated asfollows:

A casing 14, see Figs. 3, 9, and 10, in the form a hollow cone orinverted cup, having a radial rim flange 14 is applied to the lower endof the spud 2, the cone or cup proper fitting into the chamber of thespud and its rim 14 abutting the ends of the I beams 4 and channelplates 5. It is secured firmly in place by rivets passing through thechannel plates and I beams. It is provided with an opening at the topwhich flares downward to provide for easy escape of mud that may enterthe opening, and an air-pipe 15, provided with a flat valve at 26, seeFig. 9, extends upward through the spud and is connected by a flexiblehose 16, see Fig. 3, with a rigid pipe 17 forming an attachment of acompressed-air tank 18.

As a means of raising and lowering the spud by mechanical means, wepropose to employ a suitable apparatus, but in Fig. 8, we show insection a rack-bar 19, attached to one of the I beams 4, and in practicea pinion, operated from the engine on the barge, will engage and serveto raise and lower the spud. It is often extremely diflicult to raisethe spud since it is forced into the mud and thus a vacuum is formedwhen the spud is withdrawn, which vacuum must be added to the weight ofthe spud and the friction of the spud in the casing in the operation oflifting it. In order to relieve such vacuum and also to apply a positivelifting force, the air from the pressure tank 18 is allowed to enter thecup or receiver 14, thus supplying the vacuum and forming a cushiontherein whose pressure corresponds to the pressure in the tank. Thisaids greatly in forcing the spud upward, and if any air escapes from thebottom of the spud it further facilitates the withdrawal of the spud.

The pneumatic attachment adds little to the cost, and nothingappreciable to the weight of the spud, .whileit greatly aids in theoperation of the latter.

What we claim is:

1. The combination with a barge of an anchoring attachment comprising aspud proper and guide therefor arranged vertically, the spud beingformed of parallel I beams, and parallel channel plates arranged withinthe heads of the I beams and riveted to the latter, and the guide formedof parallel I beams, and rigid transverse connections, the heads of thespud beams working in sliding contact withthe inner flanges of the guidebeams, substantially as described.

2. The improved spud for the purpose specified formed of two steel beamsarranged with their edges opposite and two channel plates arranged withtheir backs opposite and their flanges riveted to the webs of the Ibeams adjacent to the heads ofthe latter, as shown and described.

3. An improved spud composed of steel I beams arranged opposite andsteel channel plates arranged between and bolted to the beams, theflanges of the channel plates abutting the heads of the I beams, asshown and described.

4. The combination with a barge having a met-a1 plate secured to itsside, of a vertical spud guide comprising two I beams arranged withtheir webs opposite and their heads on one side being in contact withthe barge and plate and bolted thereto, and bars connecting the said Ibeams transversely, certain of said bars being attached at their ends tothe barge and plate and extending across and bolted to the outer headsof the I beams, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a barge and a metal plate secured thereto, of averticalspud guide, and obtuse-angled channel bars secured to the outersides of the spud guide, and also to the barge plate and barge,substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a plate secured to the side of a barge and avertical-spud guide bolted thereto, of brace beams having an obtuseangle and extending across the lower portion of the spud guide andsecured at their ends to the barge and plate, and ties and braces forthe foot of the casing, the same comprising angle plates 11 and 12, andtriangular plates 13 bolted together and to the barge plate, the casing,and the transverse braces, substantially as described.

7. A vertical-spud and guide therefor having a pneumatic liftingattachment comprising an inverted cup-shaped air receiver applied to thelower end of the spud, and having an opening in its top, and an air pipeconnected therewith, and extending in practice to a compressor wherebyair may be forced in to cushion and aidin lifting the spud, as shown anddescribed.

8. The combination with a spud compris ing I beams and channel platesriveted thereto and connecting with an air receiver having conical formand adapted to fit between the side of the beams and channel plates towhich it is secured, and provided with a rim or radial flange extendingout on the adjacent parts, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a vertically slidable hollow spud, and avertically fixed guide therefor, of a cup-shaped air receiver JAMES P.KARR. JOHN D. RAUOH.

Witnesses:

H. J. AUDRosEN, PAUL J. KNOTHE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

